A transportation subassembly is disclosed for transporting a material that is destabilized in the presence of a destabilizing contaminant. The subassembly has a structural body having a cavity constructed and arranged to receive the material to be transported, a breather assembly operatively connected to the structural body and including a container forming a chamber, the chamber being in fluidic communication with the cavity and being constructed and arranged to receive a contaminant-removing material selected to remove the destabilizing contaminant, and a venting assembly mounted with respect to the structural body. The venting assembly includes a rupture apparatus rupturable at a predetermined pressure formed within the cavity to form fluidic communication between the cavity and the atmosphere.
A method for transporting a material in a transportation subassembly is also disclosed. A structural body having a cavity for storing the material to be transported and a rupture apparatus rupturable at a pressure formed within the cavity is used. The method includes inspecting the cavity for defects and for destabilizing impurities; dry air purging the cavity; loading the material into the cavity; activating a breather assembly to restrict destabilizing impurities from within the cavity; operatively connecting a dry air line to the cavity to form fluidic communication between the cavity and the storage compartment; and maintaining the breather assembly in an activated position to maintain the cavity in a pure condition.
In the past, efforts to provide a vessel for transporting a material that is destabilized in the presence of a destabilizing contaminant have failed, as designs to seal out contaminants have provided inadequate pressure relief should decomposition occur. Thus, combining a clean, contaminant-free transportation environment while at the same time affording a pressure relief mechanism should contamination occur has largely eluded apparatus that precede the present invention.
Thus, a problem associated with vessels for transporting materials that are destabilized in the presence of a destabilizing contaminant that precede the present invention is that they do not facilitate safe, reliable and relatively inexpensive transportation of materials that are unstable or become unstable in the presence of a contaminant.
Another problem associated with vessels for transporting materials that are destabilized in the presence of a destabilizing contaminant that precede the present invention is that they do not adequately maintain the integrity of the material to be transported.
Yet another problem associated with storage vessels for transporting materials that are destabilized in the presence of a destabilizing contaminant that precede the present invention is that they are not sufficiently environmentally-safe.
Still another problem associated with storage vessels for transporting materials that are destabilized in the presence of a destabilizing contaminant that precede the present invention is that they do not provide adequate sealing to keep out contaminants while at the same time providing pressure relief to prevent failure of the transportation subassembly should the material begin to become unstable.
An even further problem associated with storage vessels for transporting materials that are destabilized in the presence of a destabilizing contaminant that precede the present invention is that they do not ensure the continued structural integrity of the transportation subassembly.
Yet another problem associated with storage vessels for transporting materials that are destabilized in the presence of a destabilizing contaminant that precede the present invention is that they do not adequately safeguard against the accidental discharge of material into the atmosphere should contamination of the material occur.
A further problem associated with storage vessels for transporting materials that are destabilized in the presence of a destabilizing contaminant that precede the present invention is that they do not afford adequate pressure relief should any decomposition or deteriorations of the material to be stored occur.
Yet another problem associated with storage vessels for transporting materials that are destabilized in the presence of a destabilizing contaminant that precede the present invention is that they do not provide a predictable transit time during which contamination or decomposition is reliably and predictably prevented.
The present invention seeks to overcome these and other problems associated with storage vessels for transporting materials that are destabilized in the presence of a destabilizing contaminant that precede the present invention.